A design for a commode attributed to Thomas Chippendale thumbnail 1
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A design for a commode attributed to Thomas Chippendale

Drawing
ca.1760-1770 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This design is part of a collection of works acquired by the museum at the same time. While the designs are evidently by different hands, this design for a commode has been attributed to Thomas Chippendale, a fashionable London cabinet-maker. This design is simple in form and while the curvaceous corners of the commode demonstrate the rococo fashion, the feet of the commode are heavier, giving the design a more sober form than some of Chippendale’s more flamboyant furnishings. Due to its simplicity, this type of commode could have been used within the more private rooms within the household such as the dressing room.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleA design for a commode attributed to Thomas Chippendale (generic title)
Materials and techniques
pencil, ink and grey wash
Brief description
Design for a commode attributed to Thomas Chippendale, pencil, pen and ink and grey wash on paper, ca.1760-1770
Physical description
A design for a commode which is slightly serpentine in shape. The front is separated into three sections, the smaller middle section is decorated with a festoon of hanging flowers. One of the commode doors has a border and flower ornamentation. The feet are low and are of different designs.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14cm
  • Width: 16.7cm
Object history
Thomas Chippendale was a fashionable designer and cabinet-maker in the eighteenth-century, providing furniture to famous contemporary figures such as David Garrick. His company produced high-quality furniture, including some key masterpieces, but Chippendale's outstanding skill was in design. His pattern-book The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director went through three editions in the 1750s and 60s and inspired trade catalogues and pattern-books of fellow designers.
Summary
This design is part of a collection of works acquired by the museum at the same time. While the designs are evidently by different hands, this design for a commode has been attributed to Thomas Chippendale, a fashionable London cabinet-maker. This design is simple in form and while the curvaceous corners of the commode demonstrate the rococo fashion, the feet of the commode are heavier, giving the design a more sober form than some of Chippendale’s more flamboyant furnishings. Due to its simplicity, this type of commode could have been used within the more private rooms within the household such as the dressing room.
Collection
Accession number
D.727-1906

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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